Further north is the Fort Baxter Air Base, a military installation that houses military equipment and personnel, while Viceport (also referred to in road signs as "Vice Port"), the city's seaport, is located to the southeast.

Contents

Description

Structures

Escobar International consists of three terminals, one at the north which is a standard blocky terminal with the addition of below-ground entrances, the other passenger terminal to the south is more distinctive, with its weaved roof and massive glass wall facing the airport's southern side. The southern terminal is also distinctive in that the player can easily enter the building and explore its spacious interior, the only airport to feature a normally accessible interior; however, the only access points to the terminal building are equipped with metal detectors that automatically leave the player's weapons, if any, outside whenever the player enters the building. Both passenger terminals are separated by lawns and a short term car park.

The third terminal is the Freight and Cargo Terminal, south east of both terminals; in 1984, the setting for GTA Vice City Stories, however, there is no clear sign the Freight and Cargo Terminal exists. Escobar International also has a V.I.P. Terminal, as well as a long term car park, next to Vice City Transport Police headquarters.

Tarmac area

The airport tarmac itself is largely non-interactive. The tarmac, predictably, is occupied by non-interactive passengers plane and private jets, while the former may also be seen taking off and landing at the airport's runways. In addition, no controllable aircraft can be found within the airport in GTA Vice City while GTA Vice City Stories' rendition of the airport spawns a Maverick, Sparrow, Hunter and a Biplane after completion of certain missions. In both games, the player can also find Baggage Handlers driven by Security Guards traveling along a predetermined route within the tarmac area.

Influences

EIA does not appear to be based on any particular real-life airport, although it is located similarly to that in Miami, and the airport's logo is quite obviously based on MIA's logo; the airport is situated on its own peninsula in the southwest of the city. The most significant airport in real-life Miami is Opa-Locka Executive Airport.

Airlines

Bugs

In GTA VCS, a bug may allow the player to enter planes that land on the runway.

In GTA VCS, if the player gets hit by a plane, the player is sent to a random spot in Vice City (also known as the teleporter bug).

In GTA VCS (PS2 version), the player can access the Vice Beach section of the city early if they jump from the gravel pit ramp (with a police bribe in front of it) towards the pipes below, which teleports the player to Leaf Links.

In GTA VCS and VC, the player can see the beta Control Tower while the screen of mainland island is loading.

Trivia

There's some interesting advertisements featured around the airport, like Fun World (a nod to Disney World in Florida), Vacations to Liberty City (depicting Claude driving a Moonbeam and a damaged Taxi behind him) or the real life Dundee, Scotland (Rockstar North being based in Scotland), The Russell Hotel and several of the airlines featured in the game.

In the cutscene where Ken Rosenberg picks up Tommy, Harry, and Lee from the airport terminal, an airplane can be seen landing on the curved runway, which is impossible. The runway was a straight runway in the beta.

The airport is likely named after the infamous Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Alternatively, the airport may be named after murdered Colombian football player Andrés Escobar.

In GTA VCS, if you look closely at the map, there is an extra road opposite Sunshine Autos (1984) which connects Little Havana to Escobar International Airport. However, in GTA VC, that road does not exist.

Although you can't normally jump over the metal detectors, you can still drive a small car (like the Baggage Handler behind the terminal) to the metal detectors, jump on the car, and then jump over the fence around the metal detector, allowing the player to get into the terminal with weapons.

The runway where Ken Rosenberg picks up Tommy and his associates was originally a runway of Fort Baxter in the beta map, which suggests of the continuity error of an airplane landing on the curved runway.

The planes that move land in the airport, go onto another runway, then take off again without stopping, then land in the airport again.

Unlike Francis International Airport (both renditions), Escobar International, in VC and VCS, features a terminal interior. Francis Intl. in GTA III did not feature an interior; neither did the GTA IV Rendition.

Escobar International Airport is the largest airport featured in the 3D Universe.

Gallery

Exterior of Escobar International's main terminal, GTA Vice City.

Interior of Escobar International's main terminal, GTA Vice City.

The Vice City Transport Police building, with the airport parking lot in view to the right.

Interior of Escobar International's main terminal in GTA Vice City Stories.

Exterior of Escobar International's main terminal in GTA Vice City Stories.